1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vacuum cleaners and, more particularly relates to a tool storage and door arrangement utilized with an upright cleaner.
2. Summary of the prior
The use of internal tool storage with vacuum cleaners including upright cleaners has already been developed, as shown, e.g., in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/632,917, filed 24 December 1990 and owned by a common assignee. However, the storage arrangement shown in that application was designed for use with a hard bag cleaner so that space constrictions as well as accessibility required it disposition at or near the top of the hard bag and, thus, medial placement of the tool storage arrangement which might provide enlarged storage capability over that shown in the cited application was not contemplated. This storage position could, of course, be obtained in a hard bag cleaner with some additional dirt capacity penalty but, moreover, could very advantageously be provided in a cleaner having an upper portion hard housing not utilized as a hard bag cleaner upper portion.
The use of a covering door for this storage arrangement is also apparent since the cited application also shows as old closable, swinging tool doors utilized to cover their tool storage arrangements. Several of these doors include positive stops and all include non detachable hinges but unless these positive stops or hinges are structurally very strong there is a possibility of inadvertent breaking of a hinge or a stop by the operator of the upright cleaner or even the breaking of the door, itself. Thus a door, hinge and stop which were not subjected to such undue operator strain would also be desirable.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a tool storage and tool door arrangement medially of an upright cleaner upper portion hard housing.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide a hinged tool door in an upright cleaner having a "breakaway" or detachable feature for the door and its associated structure.
It is a still further object of the invention to provide a cleaner tool door stop and/or hinge not easily subject to breakage by inadvertent overstressing.
It is an even further object of the invention to provide a cleaner tool door stop which can be overridden by additional forced swinging of the tool door beyond the normal stop position.
It is an additional object of the invention to provide an overridable tool door stop and hinge so that the door may be easily released from its cleaner.
It is a final object of the invention to provide an improved tool door arrangement utilizable with a hard housing forming the upper portion of an upright cleaner.